There are a lot of innovative social care projects out there: The challenge is how to implement them at pace and scale.

The role of local authorities is to bring people together, facilitate and lead: 90% of social care provision is delivered through independent providers, and evidence suggests that most innovation is provider-led not commissioner-led. The chancellor has just announced 10% cuts in local government spending so expectations of what local authorities can do has to be realistic.

Steven Howell is senior policy and communications officer at local government thinktank Localis

Social care cannot be viewed in isolation: Local public service leaders have an opportunity, through the shake-up of the health and social care landscape, to redesign services on a broader scale than perhaps ever before.

What are the barriers to innovation? In our Commission Impossible report on strategic commissioning a year or two back, some barriers included: a limited variety of providers in some areas, the need for greater engagement and dialogue from commissioners and providers.

Local people and organisations have ideas that can make a big difference: On the back of the comprehensive spending review announcement, it is certainly time to take more risks to find new ways of working.

Catherine McDonald is Southwark council's cabinet member for health, social care and equalities

We want to innovate in service provision for a number of reasons: Better choice for social care users, more effective outcomes and better value for money. We also want to free up resources for some more traditional services on which people depend to meet their basic needs

Elizabeth Jones is assistant director of finance for adult social services at Brent council

Innovation is definitely the way forward, but we must learn from each other: We should share knowledge and expertise while work together not just within local government but on a truly collaborative approach with all our partners.

Local authorities have little choice but to innovate: With today's budgetary constraints and growth in population. The only way forward is "looking outside the box" and changing with the times.

How can technology help? Hertfordshire telecare combines the latest developments in technologies with the flexibility and advantages of a shared service delivery model where risks and guaranteed savings are shared. Significantly, it will also fuel broader and deeper engagement within the local care community and will extend service provision to a larger proportion of the population.

The LGA is running a successful Adult Social Care Efficiency (ASCE) programme: Over a third of upper tier councils participate in this two-year programme which includes pragmatic approaches to achieving savings and improving productivity in adult social care budgets.

A truly collaborative approach with shared leadership across central and local government and other partners is key: Recognising the centrality of health and wellbeing boards in this shared leadership approach and encouraging, indeed expecting, focused energy on transforming people's experiences of the health and social care system must be at the heart of the government's approach.

Liv Bickerstaff is head of service personalisation and health at Wigan council

There are some great examples: In Wigan we have developed integrated heath and social care neighbourhood teams around GP practices. We've focused on an integrated approach towards people with long-term conditions using tools to identify people who will benefit from this integrated approach to care.

We have recently launched a web portal: This connects to Barnsley to provide advice and support to residents and staff. It informs them of the range of services available. The information portal is also linked to the emarket place where people can shop for a range of support services.

• What do you think? Email sarah.marsh@guardian.co.uk if you want to contribute an article to this debate

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